Device for spatial orientation of flat articles and members

ABSTRACT

A device for the spatial orientation of flat members and other such articles which makes it possible to use the difference in the coefficients of friction of the surfaces of the articles to set the latter in positions in which the surface having a lower friction coefficient is directed upwards due to the fact that a helical chute mounted inside the vibrobunker has a section inclined to the bottom therefor, the bottom being provided with an inwardly directed conical projection, a space being provided between said section of the chute and said projection for displacing the articles to the conical projection which is used for turning the articles over.

United States Patent [72] lnventors [21 Appl. No. [22] Filed [45]Patented [54] DEVICE FOR SPATIAL ORIENTATION 01 FLAT AlR'lllCLES ANDMEMLEIERS 4 Claims, 2 Drawing Figs. 7

[52] 11.5. (11. 19fi/33 AA, 221/159 [51] Int. Cl BfiEg 47/2 1 {50} FieldoiSearcl'l 221/159,

[56] References filed UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,702,064 2/1955 Lange198/33 AA 2,725,971 12/1955 Clark-Riede 221/159 3,297.133 1/1967Sterling 198/33 Primary Examiner-Richard E. Aegerter Atlurney-Waters,Roditi, Schwartz & Nissen ABSTRACT: A device for the spatial orientationof flat members and other such articles which makes it possible to usethe difference in the coetficients of friction of the surfaces of thearticles to set the latter in positions in which the surface having alower friction coefficient is directed upwards due to the fact that ahelical chute mounted inside the vibrobunker has a section inclined tothe bottom therefor, the bottom being provided with an inwardly directedconical projection, 21 space being provided between said section ofthechute and said projection for displacing the articles to the conicalprojection which is used for turning the articles over.

therefrom selectively depending on which of the faces of the articles isdirectly downwardly.

3. A device as claimed in claim 2 comprising means associated with saidsection to receive articles sliding therefrom and to invert the same.

4. A device as claimed in claim 3 comprising means to adjust the angleat which said section inclines.

DEVICE FOR SPATIAL ORIENTATION F FLAT ARTICLES AND MEMBERS The presentinvention relates to devices for the spatial orientation of flatarticles and members employed in various branches of mechanicalengineering. The invention can be most effectively used in the buildingindustry for making carpets of glazed ceramic plates.

Known in the prior art are devices for the spatial orientation of flatarticles and other such members said devices being of the typecomprising a vibrobunker with a helical chute fixed to the inner wall ofthe bunker. The chute is provided with elements for turning the articlesto a required position. Supports and shaped sections of the chute serveas the above-mentioned elements (see the book Typical Vibratory Bunkersand Orientating Devices for Automatic Machines used in InstrumentationIndustry," Moscow, 1958, page The above-said devices provide fororientation of the articles in the process of their movement along thehelical chute by turning these articles in the chute plane. In this casethe orientation is carried into effect depending on the shape of thearticles.

An object of the invention is to provide an improved device for thespatial orientation of flat articles and other such members, theconstruction of the device being such that it makes it possible toorientate an article in space by using the difference in the working oftheir surfaces and to set the article to such a position that thesurface featuring a lower friction coefficient is directed upwards.

This object is accomplished by providing a device for the spatialorientation of flat articles and other such members comprising avibrobunker friction a helical chute fixed to the inner wall of thebunker and provided with an element for changing the position of thearticles wherein, according to the invention, the helical chute has asection inclined to the bunker bottom, the latter having a conicalprojection directed into the bunker and serving for changing theposition of the articles in space, in which'case between the aforesaidsection of the chute and the conical projection there is provided aspace for transferring the articles to the conical projection used forturning these articles over. The section of the chute inclined to thebunker bottom is preferably a plate coupled to the bunker wall with thepossibility of changing its angle of inclination relative to the bunkerbottom.

The angle of inclination of the section of the helical chute is selectedso as to be higher than the angle of friction of the surface of thearticle which is characterized by a lower friction coefficient (i.e.,the smooth surface) and to be less than the angle of friction of thesurface of the article which is characterized by a higher frictioncoefiicient (i.e., the rough surface). In this case, during thevibration of the bunker the aforementioned section should not impede theupward movement of an article along the chute when the smooth surface ofthe article (i.e., the surface having a lower friction coefficient) isdirected upwards.

lf the smooth surface of the article is directed downwards, to thesection inclined to the bottom, this article slides along the inclinedsection and falls. On falling the article meets the conical projectionwhich turns the article over, thus causing it to fall on the bunkerbottom by the back face, i.e., the smooth surface of the article isdirected upwards.

Due to the possibility of changing the angle of inclination of the saidchute section relative to the bunker bottom, the proposed device can beused for spatial orientation of flat articles the surfaces of which arecharacterized by different friction coefficients. In this case eachsurface may have a different friction.

To provide a better understanding of the advantages of the presentinvention a description of a preferred embodiment of the invention inthe form of a device for the orientation of ceramic plates having asingle glazed face is given hereinafter and is illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. I shows a general view of the device according to the invention;and

FIG. 2 is a sectional elevational view showing a portion of the bunkerwith an inclined section and the unit for securing this section of thechute to the wall of the bunker.

FIG. I shows a device having a vibrobunker I (the vibrator is not shownin the drawing) within which on a sidewall 2 is secured a helical chute3, while a bottom 4 is provided with a conical projection 5 inside thebunker l.

The helical chute 3 has a section 6 inclined to the bottom 4 of thebunker l and inwardly from sidewall 2, while a space is provided betweenthe section 6 and the projection 5.

The chute section inclined to the bottom can be made in the form of aplate 7 (FIG. 2) which is preferably secured to the wall 2 of the bunkerby means ofa cylindrical hinge joint 8 and a screw 9 one end of which isfixed by a cylindrical joint I0 to the wall 2 and the other end of whichis secured by nuts 11 to said plate 7.

The operation of the proposed device is next considerable relative to anexample of the orientation of ceramic plates with a single glazed faceglued to a base in the process of making platelike carpets employed forlining various surfaces.

The ceramic plates 12 and 13 having a single glazed face are chargedinto the vibrobunker (FIG. 1) in which the angle of inclination of thesection 6 of the helical chute 3 is greater than the angle of frictionof that face 14 (FIG. 2) of the plate which is characterized by a lowerfriction coefficient. During vibration of the bunker the plates start todisplace upwards along the helical chute 3.

The plates 12 disposed on the chute 3 with the downwardly directed facecharacterized by a higher friction coefficient than that of the upwardlydirected face will not be retained on the section 6 of the chute 3 andwill displace along the chute 3 up to the outlet from the bunker.

The plates 13 disposed on the chute 3 with the face 14 directeddownwards and characterized by a lower friction coefficient than that ofthe upper surface 15, owing to the fact that the angle of inclination ofthis section in the chute exceeds the angle of friction of the face 14,slide along the inclined section 6 of the chute 3 and fall into thespace between this section of the chute and the conical projection ofthe bottom. When meeting the conical projection 5, the plates 13overturn and lay on the bottom 4 with the face 14 directed upwards,i.e., occupy the position necessary for passing the section 6 andfurther displacement upwards along the chute 3.

For orientation of the plates whose faces are characterized by otherfriction coefficients it is possible to change the angle of inclinationof the section 6 of the chute 3, i.e., the angle of inclination of theplate 7.

For this purpose it is necessary by means of the nuts 11 to loose theconnection of the plate with the screw 9 and to set a required angle ofinclination of this plate relative to the bottom 4. Thereafter the plateis fixed again by the means of the nuts 1 1.

Thus, the proposed device provides for spatial orientation of articlesand members based on the difference in the degree of working of theirsurface and makes it possible to arrange these articles in such aposition in which the surface characterized by a lower frictioncoefficient is directed upwards.

We claim:

1. A device for the spatial orientation of flat articles and other suchmembers, such device comprising in combination: a vibrobunker includinga bottom and a sidewall extending upwardly from the bottom, a helicalchute secured on said sidewall inside said vibrobunker and leadingupwardly from said bottom, said chute including a section inclined awayfrom the wall of said vibrobunker and toward the bottom of saidvibrobunker, a conical projection extending upwardly from said bottomwith the chute and adapted for changing the position of articlesdisplaced along the chute and traversing said section, a space beingprovided between said section of the chute and said conical projectionwithin which the articles are turned over by engagement with saidprojection, the section being a plate, and means for changing the angleof inclination of the plate relative to said bottom.

1. A device for the spatial orientation of flat articles and other suchmembers, such device comprising in combination: a vibrobunker includinga bottom and a sidewall extending upwardly from the bottom, a helicalchute secured on said sidewall inside said vibrobunker and leadingupwardly from said bottom, said chute including a section inclined awayfrom the wall of said vibrobunker and toward the bottom of saidvibrobunker, a conical projection extending upwardly from said bottomwith the chute and adapted for changing the position of articlesdisplaced along the chute and traversing said section, a space beingprovided between said section of the chute and said conical projectionwithin which the articles are turned over by engagement with saidprojection, the section being a plate, and means for changing the angleof inclination of the plate relative to said bottom.
 2. A device for thespatial orientation of articles each having opposite faces respectivelyhaving first or second coefficients of friction, said device comprisinga vibrobunker, and a helical chute adapted for conveying said articlesupwardly within said vibrobunker, said chute including a sectioninclined transversely of the chute and arranged such that all articlesmoving along the chute must traverse said section, said sections beinginclined at an angle which permits said articles to slide therefromselectively depending on which of the faces of the articles is directlydownwardly.
 3. A device as claimed in claim 2 comprising meansassociated with said section to receive articles sliding therefrom andto invert the same.
 4. A device as claimed in claim 3 comprising meansto adjust the angle at which said section inclines.